Sean Manaea

Manaea was the top chip acquired by the A's in the trade deadline deal that sent Ben Zobrist to Kansas City. The lefty will be 24 in February and was the 34th overall pick in the 2013 draft. He impre...

Manaea put together a solid 25 starts in his first year at High-A Wilmington, posting a 3.11 ERA (supported by a 2.79 FIP) and a K/9 of 10.8. Some questions about his health caused his stock to slip a bit in the 2013 first-year player draft, but he was able to return from hip surgery and toss 121.2 innings during his age-22 season. The 6-foot-5 southpaw mixes a mid-90s fastball with an above-average slider, and also has a changeup in his arsenal. That combination of weapons prevented left-handed hitters in the Carolina League from homering off him in 2014, as Manaea was able to limit them to a .211 batting average. The sky is the limit for Manaea, who certainly has potential to rise quickly though the minor league ranks in the coming season. He'll look to build off the momentum generated from a strong second half, a period in which he limited opposing batters to a .180 average and posted a 1.01 WHIP over 73.1 innings.

2014

Manaea was the Royals's second pick (34th overall) in the 2013 draft out of Indiana State University. Many experts originally suggested Manaea could have been a No. 1 overall pick, but the immediate need for hip surgery, a problem that developed from overcompensating for an ankle injury during his delivery, saw him drop down many teams' draft boards. The 6-foot-5, 235 pound lefty has a solid three-pitch arsenal with a fastball clocked as high as 96 mph, and after successful surgery and rehab, is expected to be ready for spring training. He is expected to open the year either in Low-A Lexington or High-A Wilmington. Depending on his progress, he could be on the fast-track towards the major leagues, but not likely until 2015 or 2016. Dynasty league owners will want to keep him on their radar as he does project to be a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter down the road.